Graduate Orientation

Fall Orientation 2025

CEE Graduate Student Department Orientation [REQUIRED]

The Department Orientation will have both online sessions throughout the summer and an in-person orientation the day before instruction starts. The online and in-person portions of orientation dates are listed below. Throughout these sessions, we will have general and program information, Area Advising Breakout Sessions, and other important information!

Virtual Orientations

  • Important information for all Virtual Orientations

  • All times are PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), or UTC-07:00

  • Program Welcome and Degree Requirements (REQUIRED) 
  • Date: TBD
    Time: 

    Host: Prof. Miguel Jaller (Graduate Advisor for Civil and Environmental Engineering)

    Zoom Link: 

    Session Videos: 
    Will be posted after the session
     
  • All About Funding (Optional) 
  • Date: TBD
    Time: 

    Host: Lauren Worrell, Graduate Program Coordinator

    Zoom Link: 

    Session Description: Overview of funding at UC Davis and in CEE.  Please review our Student Funding page in advance of attending.  Opportunities for questions, but specific student funding situations will not be discussed. 
    Presentation slides
  • Non-Engineering Degree Background Course Requirement (Optional)
  • Date: TBD
    Time: 

    Host: 

    Zoom Link: 

    Highly recommended for students who do not have an engineering degree.

    Session Description: Overview of courses needed for students without an engineering degree.  The majority of this session will be Q&A, so it will NOT be recorded – if you can’t make this time, you can schedule individual advising as needed.

    Students who have a previous engineering degree do not need to complete the background course requirements. 
  • Area Advising (various dates)
  • Student course advising is from our outstanding CEE Faculty.  While PhD students generally have an assigned major professor, many MS students will be advised by the "Area Advisor" or "GPC Rep" (Graduate Program Committee Representative). Come to the Area Advising to talk to the faculty area advisors about your classes, the program, and more!

    Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Engineering
    TBD

    Geotechnical Engineering
    TBD

    Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics
    TBD

    Transportation Engineering
    TBD

    Water Resources Engineering and Environmental Engineering
     TBD

In-Person CEE Grad Orientation [REQUIRED]
Sept. 23, 2025

  • Orientation check in - 9:00am, 1003 Kemper Hall
  • Session Description: Check in, get information packets, and have your picture taken for our Graduate Student Board outside of Lauren's office in Ghausi Hall!

    Note: Breakfast/coffee will not be provided. You can find breakfast/coffee at the Peets location in the Silo or the CoHo South in the Student Community Center.
  • Faculty Welcome - 9:15am, 1003 Kemper Hall
  • Session Description: Formal welcome to the Department and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Degree Program with Department Chair, Dr. Christopher Cappa
  • Meet the CEE Staff; staff presentations - 9:35am, 1003 Kemper Hall
  • Session Description: Meet the staff that can support you through your time at UC Davis. The Financial Analyst team, business office, and other personnel will tell you about how their roles. Staff will give short presentations with important information for new Grad Students. 
  • Break - 10:50am
  • Time to take a short break and travel to the next location
  • Student Panel - 11:00am, 1003 Kemper Hall
  • Session Description: Come hear from some of our current students with their tips and advice!
  • Meet and Greet Lunch (Please RSVP), Ghausi Lobby/Bainer Lawn
  • Session Description: Students are invited to join us for a social, outdoor lunch co-hosted with some of our wonderful student groups.  This will be an opportunity to get to meet other students in person!

    RSVP HERE

    Lunch will be served as a grab-and-go style in Ghausi Lobby, and students will be eating outside on the Bainer Lawn (grass seating).  Temperatures can be high in September in Davis, so please consider hats/sunscreen, and bring plenty of water! 
  • Area Advising - 1:30pm, various locations

  • Session Description: Faculty Advising is the most important part of getting a good start in the graduate program.  Faculty will be talking more about the program, coursework, and answering your questions.

    LOCATIONS
    Environmental: 3102A/B Ghausi Hall

    Geotechnical: 1001 Ghausi Hall

    Structures: 1007 Ghausi Hall

    Transportation: 2010 Ghausi Hall

    Water Resources: 3102A/B Ghausi Hall

  • Q&A with the Graduate Program Coordinator (OPPTIONAL), 3:00pm, 3102A/B Ghausi Hall
  • Session Description: Still have questions?  Feel free to stay and ask any questions with the Graduate Program Coordinator, Lauren Worrell

 

UC Davis Orientations

  • Office of Graduate Studies Orientations
  • You should complete Aggie 201.  This online orientation can be viewed at your own pace, and provides a resource and services overview for new graduate students. It is recommended to finish this by the start of instruction. 

    Students are also invited to attend the Graduate Student Resource Fair, International Graduate Student Orientation (IGSO), and Holistic U sponsored by Graduate Studies. These events are social and academic orientation activities and workshops for graduate students and postdocs. These events will be held in mid-September. Registration generally opens in August, and more information can be viewed here.
  • Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation
  • Registration Coming Soon! Please be sure to register by the deadline.

    All students who are hired as Teaching Assistants (TAs) are required to attend the Campus TA Orientation. All students are highly encouraged to attend the TA orientation now in case they become a TA later in the year/UC Davis Career. CEE Students will attend the orientation on Monday Sept. 22. More information, and registration, can be found here.

    In order to fulfill the TA Orientation requirement, you must attend all in-person workshops you are assigned to. You must also complete self-paced modules on UC Davis’s learning management system, Canvas, before attending your assigned session. The modules will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete and must be done before attending your assigned in-person session. The link to the course will be available to registrants in September. 

    We encourage you to read the TA’s Guide to Effective Teaching at UC Davis over the summer prior to the TA Orientation.

    Note: 
    • Students are required to complete all sections of the orientation.
    • More information about applying for Teaching Assistant and Readership positions in CEE and around campus can be found in the FUNDING section of this page.
    • More information about the English requirement for Teaching Assistant positions can also be found in the FUNDING section of this page.
  • Mandatory Sexual Assault Prevention (SAP) Training

  • UC Davis requires that all new incoming graduate and professional students complete mandatory sexual assault prevention (SAP) training within the first six weeks of beginning classes at UC Davis.

    For professional and graduate students who started at UC Davis, they will have 6 weeks to complete the training from the date of assignment. To complete the SAP requirement, students need to access and complete the online Sexual Assault Prevention module via Vector Solutions. Failure to complete the SAP training requirement will lead to a hold being placed on the student’s account.  The hold will prevent them from registering for future classes.

    More information can be found here.

    The university’s policy on sexual harassment and sexual violence.

  • Student-Parent Pre Orientation

  • The Student Parent Pre-Orientation is June 18. Be sure to check out their resources HERE.

    Questions?  Contact the Student Parent Working Group at studentparent-wg@ucdavis.edu